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Disabled Fans’ Survey Report – February 2025

Date: 28th January 2025

The aim of this survey is to determine how disabled fans in Scotland feel about the various aspects of the provision of facilities/services at their ‘own’ home club. 

The full survey is available at this link.   SFSA Disabled Home Fans Survey  

This Survey was sent out to Disabled fans and Associations throughout the country, with the aim being to determine how disabled fans in Scotland feel about their experience at their ‘home’ club, that is the club they support.  The survey canvassed the SFSA’s entire database (only a percentage of whom are disabled) supported by a social media campaign and direct contact with DAOs across Scotland’s senior clubs.

80% of our respondents were Male, with 18% being Female and 2% identifying as Other.

Fans were asked a number of questions across the survey: for the first seven questions they were asked to rate various factors between 1 and 5, where 1= Very poor, 2= Poor, 3= Average, 4= Good and 5 = Excellent.

Level Playing Field

Level Playing Field is a major UK disability organisation, primarily working in England and Wales. Their annual survey, which covers all sports, not just football, is always very well worth reading.  The SFSA is developing a good working relationship with LPF and, for the first time, they included Scotland in their annual survey last year.    To see the full LPF survey for the UK, please go to this link.

The key findings are as follows:

  • Parking for disabled fans: There is room for improvement. The majority, just under 60%, rated this as average to very poor, with over one fifth (22%) saying it is very poor at their home club.
  • Toilet facilities for disabled fans: Over half (51%) said these are good or very good at their home club. Only c. one fifth (22%) rated them as poor or very poor.
  • The View from the stands for disabled fans: 61% of those surveyed rated the view at their home club as good (30%) or excellent (31%), with only 7% saying it was very poor.
  • Tickets for disabled fans: it can be difficult for disabled fans to get information on tickets in general, however, two-thirds (66%) rated this was very good (25%) or excellent (41%). This follows through to the actual acquisition of a ticket, with nearly two-thirds say that actually getting tickets is either good (26%) or excellent (37%).
  • Shelter from the elements for disabled fans: With disabled people being more vulnerable to the elements that can be experienced in Scotland, the provision of adequate shelter is one of the most important factors which encourages them to follow their teams. Despite this, well over half (61%) say this is average or worse (26% rated shelter in their home ground as very poor, with a further 35% saying it was either poor (10%) or average (25%). However, nearly a quarter (23%) said it was excellent, with a further 16% saying it was good.
  • Awareness of their club’s Disabled Supporters Association (DSA) and/or Disability Access Officer (DAO): the majority (over three quarters) 76% know their club has a DSA, with an even bigger share 79% being aware of their club’s DAO.
  • Does your DSA/DAO do a good job for both home and away fans? DSA/DAO Leads for DSAs and Disabled Access Officers have responsibility for attending to the needs of both home and away fans. Two-thirds (67%) said their DSA/DAO does this well. Only 7% said their DAO/DSA do not do this well.
  • When gives specific options for what DSA/DAOs do well: 75% said they clearly care for disabled fans, 74% said they were easily contactable (with contact details on the club website), and 57% said they go the extra mile for disabled fans.
  • A huge range of very positive comments on the performance of fans’ home clubs’ support for disabled fans was received, along with suggestions for improvements.
  • The SFSA has been supported by Level Playing Field, the major English and Welsh disability organisation, who, in 2024, have included Scotland in their annual fans’ survey for the first time.

* Fans from the following clubs took part in this survey:  Aberdeen, Airdrieonians, Alloa Athletic, Ayr United, Celtic, Cowdenbeath, Dundee, Dundee United, Dunfermline Athletic, Edinburgh City, Falkirk, Hamilton Academical, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Irvine Meadow, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Motherwell, Partick Thistle, Queen of the South, Rangers, Spartans, St Johnstone and St Mirren


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